Thursday November 8, 2012 8:54 pm

SideCar community-powered ride-sharing comes to Seattle

SideCar, the popular ride-sharing service out of San Francisco, has made it's way up the West Coast and has launched here in Seattle. Curious about what a ride-sharing service even is? Well, the easiest way we can explain it is to have you imagine a taxi service. Now, instead of a professional taxi driver in a cab picking you up, it's someone who's been vetted by SideCar, driving their own vehicle.

It's all powered by a smartphone app that's available on both iOS and Android, which you use to choose your pick up address and destination. You can see how many SideCar drivers are around, an estimate of when your ride will arrive, and the average price paid for the ride. If it sounds similar to Uber, that's because it is--but again, these aren't professional drivers, so it's really like an on-demand carpool. Another difference? You pay what you want…there are no hard costs for any rides. A rating system is in place for both drivers and riders, so if someone drives you across town in heavy traffic and you pay them just $2, you may end up with a 2-star rating.

We'll be testing out SideCar shortly, as riders, and as drivers. Anyone can apply to be a SideCar driver, by the way. You'll have to be willing to go through the remote interview process, as well as a background check, for the privilege. It could be a neat way to meet new people, and make some extra cash (SideCar drivers keep 80% of the fare, while the company takes 20% for itself.) Download the SideCar Ride app now to give the service a try. Oh, and enter promo code ANDRU1 for a free $10 credit!